Lauren Laverne
Age. Hovering around 20. Young is always good, especially when not accompanied by puppy fat. However, youth shows in undue respect for Saint Etienne-type fluff-pop noises. 4/5
Vocals. Have been compared to Blondie, Cruella De Vil. 11/10
On Drugs. More of a pints girl, although gets mildly shirty about the beer-monster tag. Has consitution o ox, however, as demonstrated by stalwart touring last year when she really should have been in hospital with a kidney complaint. Evidently has stomach for full-scale drug pursuit, just chooses not to. 5/5
On Politics. Left-wing, although seldom makes pronouncements and never writs songs about it. This is a good thing, although mark deducted for praying occasionally, which is more new Labour than old. 4/5
On the Future. Noisily confident, with impressively wide-ranging ambitions - as she frequently says, most recently to Melody Maker: "When I'm having my hair spiked for a photo-shoot, and I'm looking at myself with big black eyes and horrible green lips, I think, 'Every time this happens, there's less and less chance that you'll ever be Prime Minister', and that makes me sad." 5/5
Roots. So northern that when she first arrived in London, she used to laugh when people pronounced laugh "larf" (work that out). Northern beginnings evident in excellent on-stage banter and all-round ability to tell jokes (southern girls: witness Justine Frischmann, being notoriously bad at spontaneous gaggery). 4/5
The Look. Heels as hefty as small council blocks (all the better for staying upright), a strange ability to give even the most expensive garmant a whiff of Oxfam and a predilection for fish-nets and feather boas. 3/5
The Sound. More puf pastry than steak tartar, but nevertheless quite lovely. Live sets get deliciously raucous. The latest single, I Would Fix You, is a winner. 5/5
Total: 41/55
Cerys Matthews
Age. Hovering around 30. This is a very good thing, suggesting great determination (Catatonia formed in 1992 and kept plugging away through five years of minimal acclaim) and a proper grown-up "I know a thing or two about stuff" demeanour. She gets added points for not falling into the Shirley Manson trap of putting on 10 unnecessary years with black gunk in lower eyelids. 4/5
Vocals. Has been compared to: Bjork, Kirsty MacColl, Courtney Love, Liz Fraser, Minnie Mouse, Lulu, Rod Stewart. 11/10
On Drugs. Straightforward and unsqueamish. Famously challenged Richard Ashcrot with the notion that the only reason his drugs didn't work was because he was sticking them up the wrong orifice. Extra points for having whisky as her tipple of choice.4/5
On Politics. Left-wing, but in the front line of pop-star Blair attacking, over the usual issues - Welfare to Work, university tuition fees, curfews for under-10s and drugs decriminalisation. 5/5
On the Future. Deadpan, self-deprecating, un-star struck, quietly confident. 5/5
Roots. So Welsh it's comic - there's the famous "r" rolling on the single Road Rage, the added lilt given to Mulder and Scully, and a song on International Velvet which claims to love Wales (although it's ironic comment on patriotism, apparently - hard to argue with that, since most of it's in Welsh). Added points for never knowingly crushing a pickled egg in a packet of prawn coctail crisps and eating it all in one go (which is what most Welsh people do). 3/5
The Look. Don't be fooledby rough-hewn vocals into thinking she's a scumbag - clothes have a designer edge, shoes are always properly heeled (as in high). All0over apparel, while not exactly box0fresh, is nevertheless distinctly classy and not over-styled. 4/5
The Sound. Raw but disciplined. Capable of unexpectedly angelic moments. Also capable of being very scary indeed. 5/5
Total: 41/55
A tie. So concrete proof that they are indeed as iconic as one another.
Back to the articles or The Kenickie Caravan
Get your own Free Home Page